


Our Secret Garden

by PinkThor



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Greek Mythology AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-03-26 16:10:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19009240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkThor/pseuds/PinkThor
Summary: “It feels almost like a dream here.” She gestured to their idyllic surroundings. Her eyes flickered back to Yang’s, holding each other’s gaze for just a moment longer than necessary before she glanced away. Blake didn’t know how to say that Yang’s presence also felt too good to be true.Blake and Yang in a Greek Mythology AU.





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Italics and bold are song lyrics from BMBLB by Jeff Williams feat. Casey Lee Williams.

**_There’s a garden where I go, if you meet me there no one will know..._ **

It was Yang’s favorite time of the year. The flowers were in full bloom, surrounding her in vibrant greens, purples, yellows... Each flower had its own enticing scent, the aromatic air creating a dizzying but soothing smell that reminded her of home. Of her sister, her mom. 

Yang loved this field in particular as it always bloomed the loveliest of any she had seen, becoming a hub for insects, bees and forest creatures. It was wedged in the middle of a large and otherwise fairly empty and gloomy looking forest, often ignored by mortals and immortals alike. It was so small and private that Yang liked to think of it as her own personal garden. One she could escape to when she was feeling overwhelmed or unsure. One she could come to in sadness or celebration. 

Yang plopped onto the ground and smiled wistfully as she watched two bees playfully chase each other around the flowers near her. She laid down, turning her eyes to the bright blue sky, letting the sun warm her skin. Eventually her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off, floating in between sleep and consciousness, just focusing on the warmth. 

She didn’t know how long she stayed that way, wanting to sink into the Earth and become one with everything around her. It didn’t really matter. She felt an inner peace that encouraged her to remain that way forever. But nothing lasts forever, not even for gods. There was a noise, a rustling in the bushes at the far end of the field that disturbed her from her peace. Which in itself was not unexpected, it was a forest filled with living creatures who called it home. However, the fact that the rustling was followed by a small gasp alerted Yang to the presence of another human being. She blinked open her eyes and warily sat up to see who else had found her garden. She had no idea just how unprepared she was for what she would see.

A woman, probably the most beautiful woman Yang had ever seen before, standing stock still across the clearing, just on the edge of the shadows. She was frozen, like a deer who had just caught wind of an approaching hunter. Her midnight hair seemed to shine, even in the darkness she remained shrouded in. She had piercing golden eyes that were currently studying her, locked on her in a way that Yang felt more the prey than the hunter. She wore a simple purple and black dress that complimented her skin and hair so well that Yang felt she must have been born to wear it. She also emanated a strength, though subtle, but undoubtedly there, lurking beneath the surface. 

Yang found that she couldn’t breath. Not while staring at this beautiful being, with her unearthly beauty. ‘ _Is this what Love feels like?_ ’ Yang thought idly as she felt her heart pound faster after restarting. And then the beautiful woman spoke and Yang swore she had now heard the most beautiful sound to have ever existed. 

“Hello...”

**_Now the flowers are in bloom, and you’ve chased away my darkness and gloom..._ **

Blake was alone. Again. It’s not that she didn’t mind being alone. Sometimes the solitude led to a quieting of her racing thoughts, capturing her in a rare sense of calmness. But when you’re always alone, that’s when you start to feel lonely. Blake could feel the ache in her chest, a little ball that would grow and grow, slowly suffocating her in loneliness until she felt like she couldn’t function from the pain of it. Blake was tired of being alone. But alas, she was destined to remain where she was for all eternity with no sight of a reprieve. 

She wandered through a forest that she often found peace in. Although it was a tad shadowy and often empty, it had an aura that often helped to energize her when she was feeling down. She rarely had a destination and instead wandered aimlessly until she found whatever she was looking for. Today was more difficult though, she had been walking for over an hour and was still feeling restless and unfulfilled. She was just considering leaving to return home when two bees buzzed past her. Blake couldn’t tell if they were chasing one another or dancing, either way, they both traveled forward, heading in the same direction. 

Blake didn’t know why, but she felt a need to follow them. Maybe they would lead her to what she needed? Or maybe they would just lead her farther into the forest. Either way, Blake felt an urgency as though the threads of fate were twining through her soul and propelling her forward. So she moved, weaving in and out of trees and bushes, making sure to keep the bees in her line of sight at all times. Suddenly she could see a bright light up ahead. It appeared to be a clearing of some kind. Blake didn’t know how but she knew that that was where the bees were heading. As she broke the tree line her eyes were assaulted by the sun shine and the overflowing flowers within the clearing. But that’s not what made her gasp.

There was a woman lying on the ground, thick blonde hair splayed out around her face was directed towards the sky. The sun beating down on her was bouncing back somehow, almost convincing Blake that she was made of sunshine. The way her hair glittered and shone, even as she laid there unmoving made Blake’s stomach flip. She had on a loose white dress and just looked so comfortable, in the flowers, in her own skin, in the sunlight. Blake wasn’t entirely sure but it was magnetizing. 

The stranger sat up at Blake’s gasp, her eyes blinking open, adjusting to the sun surrounding her. Blake had to hold in another gasp when she saw her luminous lilac eyes, almost like two of the prettiest flowers had found a resting place with this woman. Her hair looked wilder from this angle, it was obvious she had been laying down for a while since there were pieces of flowers and grass tangled into it. But it wasn’t off putting, instead it made her even more beautiful. The stranger never broke eye contact, her piercing eyes that seemed to almost devour Blake, holding her, enchanting her. She had an aura of power around her, radiating off of her like the rays of the sun, making it almost hard to stare at her for too long, but impossible to look away from. Neither moved or spoke and Blake didn’t know what to do. ‘ _I should say something right? Compliment her? Ask her a question? I don’t… know what to say..._ ’ So instead Blake just let out a small “Hello...”

**_But they watch us, and they know, and they’re happy as they see our love grow..._ **

Yang responded with a hello of her own and yet again they sat in silence. Suddenly, Yang smiled, tilting her head and motioning Blake over with a small jerk of her head. Blake walked over slowly, as if in a trance and sat down a foot away from Yang. The green grass was plush, cushiony and comfortable. 

“It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?” Yang asked, finally breaking the silence. 

“Yes... I’ve walked through this forest a lot and I’ve never seen anything like this.” Blake responded, dragging her gaze away and glancing around, getting a better look at the clearing itself and not just the girl in front of her. Yang laughed, such a beautiful and contagious sound that Blake let out a small laugh as well. Yang’s grin grew wider.

“This is my special spot. I’ve come here for years and I’ve never run into another person. It’s my own secret garden,” she added, whispering as if this was some great conspiracy. “However,” she added quickly scanning Blake up and down (bringing a light blush to Blake’s face), “I think I can make an exception and share it with you.” Blake smiled, the first genuine smile Yang had seen her give so far, and she swore her heart stopped beating. 

“That’s sweet of you,” Blake responded. “It feels almost like a dream here.” She gestured to their idyllic surroundings. Her eyes flickered back to Yang’s, holding each other’s gaze for just a moment longer than necessary before she glanced away. Blake didn’t know how to say that Yang’s presence also felt too good to be true. Suddenly Yang moved, crawling forward, suddenly so close that Blake could see the ways her pupils got bigger, could smell the honey sweet smell coming off of her in waves. Blake didn’t move (or breath), unsure what this strange woman was planning, but not entirely opposed if it meant having her this close. And then she grabbed her hand with both of her own, her skin which looked velvety smooth hiding callouses and a surprising roughness, which though unexpected was not unwelcome. Yang jumped to her feet, unceremoniously dragging Blake up with her. There was a determined set to her shoulders, Yang had made up her mind about something and this was the outcome. Rushing from flower to flower, showing Blake the different types and their uses, introducing her to the creatures that had also found their way to the garden, imprinting her hand into Blake's. 

Slowly, Blake began to open up too, interjecting with questions and her own experiences. Their conversation began to shift, no longer just about their surroundings, but delving into more about each other, becoming more at ease with one another with each passing second, falling into a rhythm that should be impossible for two virtual strangers. When they finally settled in again, both laying down next to each other, hands almost touching as they looked at the designs the clouds made, their words trailed off, leaving silence, comfortable in itself, neither needing any words to be happy. 

“What’s your name?” Yang asked suddenly, abruptly shifting onto her side so she could look at Blake. Blake didn’t move and instead just rolled her head to the side to make eye contact with Yang. She hesitated, whether from an internal debate or from being awestruck by the beautiful woman in front of her, no one could say.

“Blake. You?”

“Blake...” Yang said softly, her tongue caressing the name, causing Blake to shiver. “I’m Yang.”

“Yang...” Blake echoed, loving the way it sounded, the way it felt. There was a heavy pause after they both said the others name, a moment of uncertainty. Both of them were thinking the same thing, although there was no way they could have known it at that time. Both debating whether breaking the rules would bring joy or disaster. Yang was the one who finally broke the silence, her curiosity growing too great to contain. 

“Blake is that your... only name? Or do you have another one?” Yang said quietly, keeping her words a secret between the two of them. It was a risky move, but Yang had to know. She was almost certain that she was sensing a power in Blake that was not one of any plain mortal.

“I have another.” Blake said simply, relieved that she wasn’t forced to make the decision to ask. “Do you?” She countered, although based on Yang’s question and her radiant aura, she could already tell.

“I do too,” Yang responded, her heart pounding. “Do you... Are you okay telling me?” Yang asked. It wasn’t common courtesy to ask these things, but Yang needed to know. Blake’s eyes searched Yang’s for a long moment, although Yang wasn’t sure what she was looking for. She seemed content with what she saw though, because she gave a short nod.

“On three? 1,” Yang said.

“2,” Blake continued.

“3,” they said together. And with a deep breath they revealed themselves.

“Persephone,” Yang said, her aura shining with rays of sunlight, increasing in brightness, flowers around her growing and blooming in response.

“Hades,” Blake blurted out simultaneously, the true depth of her power pulsing out in response to Yang’s, a shadow of pure strength surrounding her, reaching out to meet Yang’s sun rays. 

Things were about to get interesting.


	2. The Courting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades and Persephone. It was a miracle they had never met before. Blake pointed out that it was possible they had, but Yang vehemently shook her head. 
> 
> “I would remember you,” she said, gazing warmly at Blake. 
> 
> Blake and Yang's relationship progresses, some cute fluffy moments between the two!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The italic and bold lines are lyrics from the song Feelings by Hayley Kiyoko.

**_I still get so lonely. One look in your eyes, I want you to hold me..._ **

Hades and Persephone. It was a miracle they had never met before. Blake pointed out that it was possible they had, but Yang vehemently shook her head. 

“I would remember you,” she said, gazing warmly at Blake. 

They didn’t immediately fall for each other, although looking back they were pretty far gone at first site. It started with Yang inviting Blake to meet her there later. It wasn’t often that Gods met outside of Olympus or formal meetings unless they were immediate family or married, but neither cared to really enforce that. The second time they met, Yang was waiting for her, perched in a tree humming a song with a bird. Yang couldn’t sing for the life of her, but in that moment, it was the most beautiful sound in the world. Blake took the opportunity to admire her from afar as the sun filtered in through the treetops. When Yang finally became aware of Blake’s presence, there was no uncertainty or embarrassment on her face, just pure joy. 

“You came!” Yang said delightedly as she dropped from her branch to the ground, her bare feet making no noise as she landed.

“I came,” Blake responded, not quite as loud but with a matching smile and her own passion to match as she walked over to meet her.

**_I laugh about it, dream about that casual touch..._ **

The third time they met, Blake made it to the field first. She sat, quietly reading as she waited for Yang. She couldn’t often leave the Underworld, especially not to mix with mortals, so she often made deals with people who came to visit her to write down oral stories they heard or plays they had watched for a lesser punishment or a greater reward. She didn’t do this often and only with individuals who were on the edge between two. When Yang arrived, she only smiled happily before going to lay down, her head coming to rest on Blake’s lap. Blake started for a moment, so enthralled with her book that she had lost all awareness of the outside world. But she quickly relaxed, enjoying the warmth emanating from Yang, enjoying the silence and her mere presence. Reading a book was something she’d done thousands of times, but doing it with Yang was different. Her energy added a vibrancy to Blake that she had rarely felt and made the experience of just sitting and reading into something magical. When she finally put her book down, Yang, ever curious, asked her what she had been reading. 

“Lysistrata,” Blake responded, a little surprised Yang had wanted to know.

“I’ve seen that play!” Yang responded excitedly, shifting in Blake’s lap so she was looking at her face, but was still touching her. “Did you like watching it so much that you wrote it down or..?” Yang trailed off at Blake’s mouth quirking downwards. 

“I’ve never seen a play,” Blake admitted reluctantly. “I’ve only been able to get others to write down what they’ve seen.” Blake waited for the laughter or the taunting. But this was Yang. She should have known it wasn’t going to come.

“Well I’ll take you sometime! Honestly the best experience is going with someone else so you can talk about it later!” And then she was off describing the different shows she’d seen with the different masks and which playwright was better and why. Her hands moved grandly as she laid there mimicking voices, gesticulating so wildly at times that she almost hit Blake when she became too caught up in her own stories. Soon they were both laughing so hard, they struggled to breath, happiness filling them both completely.

**_I know exactly what I’m feeling. This love asylum, like an island, just me and you..._ **

They took their time, meeting up in the clearing, their own personal garden, to talk, play games, or just relax in each other’s company. They didn’t have a term for what they were doing. Being friends? That felt wrong, too inconsequential a term for what they were feeling. It was so much more than that. Every time they saw one another, the world froze and spun upside down and suddenly everything was right when they hadn’t even been aware that it was wrong to begin with. 

They didn’t know what time this was that they had met, they had stopped counting long ago. Yang was weaving a flower crown while sprawled out against Blake as she read her latest book. It was a common pastime of theirs, languidly enjoying the sun and each other’s presence. 

“And then I told Aphrodite, she goes by Weiss now and is married to my sister, Ruby,” Yang added in a quick aside, distracting herself mid story. She was working really hard to catch Blake up on the happenings above ground, but it was hard. God’s were complicated and messy. “We really don’t have to fight over this random guy. I don’t know who this Neptune is but if she wants him, she can have him! I guess he’s good looking enough, especially for a mortal but I really don’t swing that way and honestly I’d never get into a fight over a man, like they do that enough on their own?” Yang kept rambling on as she mindlessly adding and threading new flowers into the flower crown she was making. Although Blake was listening, they were comfortable enough in their routine that Blake didn’t need to give unnecessary assurances that she was paying attention.

“Here!” Yang exclaimed, as she finished the final touches on the crown, interrupting herself again and losing her train of thought before the story was finished. She twisted around, wedging herself between Blake and her book so she could place the crown on her head. “Beautiful,” she said, letting her hand languidly trail down the side of Blake’s hair and face. Blake stopped breathing, stopped moving, stopped thinking. There was only Yang. Yang who was nose to nose with her and calling her beautiful. Blake began to instinctively move in, their noses brushing lightly as they moved closer and closer... before Yang abruptly stopped. 

“Are you sure?” She asked. This wasn’t hesitation. This wasn’t uncertainty or revulsion or confusion or any of the emotions Blake had worried she would see. This was pure warmth and light. She wasn’t asking because she wasn’t sure. She was asking because she wanted Blake to be sure. It was in that moment, with the sun shining down on them and Yang staring earnestly with certainty in her gaze that Blake knew she loved this woman. Loved her beyond cohesive thoughts or words, loved her beyond comprehension. So, with love in her heart and eyes, Blake leaned in and pressed her lips firmly against Yang’s, answering her question. ‘ _Yes, I’m sure. I will always be sure. I will always love you._ ’ 

It was their first kiss but not their last. As the days dragged on, their time together grew more frequent, their goodbyes became longer and lingering as they put off the inevitable parting. Although they had yet to define what was blossoming between them, they knew it was more than a passing fling. It was an all-consuming love affair, one that was not to be hidden, but paraded before the sun and worshiped under the moon. 

**_Spent the night, you got me high, oh what did you do? I’m hooked on all these feelings..._ **

They were lying together, hands clasped, fingers intertwined as they watched the rising moon one night. Although Yang shone during the daylight, Blake glowed in the moonlight, the rays caressing her skin as gently as Yang did, illuminating the light within her. The white light bounced off of her black hair, causing it to shimmer and making it irresistible to Yang who was constantly touching it.

“I don’t like dogs. Not that I hate them, exactly.” Blake added, to appease Yang, the universal animal lover. “I’ve always been a cat person. But most people don’t fear a guard cat. Cerberus is okay though. He’s well enough behaved for a dog of his size and he’s really a puppy at heart. I think it would be good for you to meet him though, you can play with him and wrestle with him and he’ll love it.” She paused, letting her words sink in. It was the first time she had mentioned the possibility of Yang visiting the Underworld. Gods can’t enter each other’s domain without each other’s permission and so Yang had never been, although she’d been told plenty of stories. 

“What about the River Styx?” Yang asked hesitantly, not wanting to push Blake but trying to ride this horse as far as she could. 

“Well it’s just like most rivers,” Blake said, not looking at all uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going. “It starts off fairly normal near the edges, to kind of, I don’t know, ease souls into my realm? There are a couple branches and it all converges in the middle. You haven’t been, but when you first come, you’ll see how the path to my home starts off looking like an underground cavern with just a normal river. But the farther in you go, the river begins to look... unnatural to a mortal’s eye. It shines colors that shouldn’t be possible underground, sometimes churning and rushing like a rapid, other times it’s as calm and still as a mirror. Some areas are dangerous to go alone, but if you’re with me then you’ll be fine.” 

“I didn’t know that,” Yang said, genuinely intrigued. There were little more than rumors among mortals and immortals alike about the depths of Hades realm.

“Most people don’t. But it can be beautiful. And peaceful. Although I think you’ll be most at home in the garden. It can be wonderful; it just needs a loving touch... Not that I don’t try, but you’re so wonderful with plants,” she gestured broadly at the flowers and plants that thrived just being around Yang. “I actually have a couple of fruit trees that are thriving quite well already and...”

Blake didn’t often talk about her life in the Underworld. She had made it clear before that she was often alone and increasingly lonely when she was there. Yang didn’t push her, never wanting to overstep and make her uncomfortable. But something about tonight had brought out her talkative side and she rambled about her home and how Yang would so easily fit into it. It was in that moment that Yang knew she loved her. This stunning woman with so many walls, so care free in her arms and talks of the future, their future. Yang loved it and loved her more with every word she said and breath she uttered. Blake had captured her heart and soul and she didn’t even know it as she absentmindedly rubbed circles onto Yang’s hand. 

Yang turned and quickly gave Blake a peck on the cheek. Blake stopped talking, not upset, just surprised.

“What was that for?” She asked, curiously.

“Just because,” Yang said lightly, squeezing her hand. “Please continue.” She said and so Blake did, with a wider smile on her face than there had been before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy the new chapter! Comments and feedback are definitely appreciated! Looks like we'll be meeting some new characters in the next chapter...

**Author's Note:**

> This could end here or be expanded on, so thoughts and comments really help! Thanks for reading!


End file.
